


did i mention (that i’m in love with you)

by orphan_account



Series: magic : love [1]
Category: LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Magic, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Angst, Best Friends, Cheerleader Park Chaewon | Go Won, Cheesy, Declarations Of Love, F/F, First Dates, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Gen, High School, Love Potion/Spell, Sappy, hyerim are really close friends but that’s all they are i promise, i just wrote this because the idea of chaewon serenading hyejoo got me giddy, p.s. this is entirely self-indulgent, this is seriously cheesy and sappy and corny and i’m (not) sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-31
Updated: 2020-03-31
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:54:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23378686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Hyejoo’s had a crush on Park Chaewon for a long, long, long, long, long, long,longtime, but is far from being able to even just speak in front of her. As her best friend, Yerim takes it upon herself to fix that.(The results are disastrous.)
Relationships: Choi Yerim | Choerry & Son Hyejoo | Olivia Hye, Park Chaewon | Go Won/Son Hyejoo | Olivia Hye
Series: magic : love [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1685197
Kudos: 113





	did i mention (that i’m in love with you)

**Author's Note:**

> Rewatching the first Descendants movie gave me the idea to do this. Also, in regards to some stuff, I just based everything off of what I personally know, and didn’t do any research. Basically, I took tons of liberties, but I hope you enjoy!
> 
> (Title is taken from Did I Mention from Descendants.)

Hyejoo didn’t know how to talk to girls. More specifically, _a_ girl, one that rendered her speechless without even trying.

Hyejoo herself wasn’t quite certain as to why her heart chose Park Chaewon. They were far from similar, with Chaewon being the captain of the cheerleading squad, and Hyejoo being... well, something. She just wasn’t sure what.

Hyejoo traversed through the school hallway, careful to avoid the rubbish that cluttered her path. It was ludicrous that a school that regarded itself as one of the best in the city neglected administering to the betterment of the campus, but she supposed it wasn’t any of her business. (That was a lie; if the school continued to be _this_ shitty, not even an angel like Chaewon could stop her from dropping out.) 

As Hyejoo navigated her way through, lost in her thoughts, she felt something hit her right shoulder, and she stumbled backward. Her eyes immediately flitted over to the culprit, and something appeared in her chest that released itself through coughs.

It was Park Chaewon.

_In the flesh._

Hyejoo had never been this close to Chaewon before. She often gazed at her from afar, yearning and hoping but never doing anything. Hyejoo called it waiting for the right time; her best friend, Choi Yerim, called it cowardice.

“Oh my God, are you okay? I’m so sorry, I should’ve—” Chaewon reached over and placed a hand on Hyejoo’s shoulder, and with much more force than she had intended, Hyejoo jerked her shoulder away.

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it,” Hyejoo forced a smile, but Chaewon did not look convinced. “I’ll, um... be on my way.”

Chaewon regarded her for a moment, moving her mouth upward as her eyes narrowed, and Hyejoo thought to herself that Chaewon appeared to be the spitting image of skepticism. Hyejoo feared that Chaewon would somehow discover the irrational beating of her heart, and how _she_ was the reason for it, for all of it.

Instead, however, Chaewon relented with a sigh. She smiled, pat Hyejoo on the shoulder, and walked away.

Hyejoo wanted to kill herself.

* * *

“It could have gone way worse, right? _Right?_ ”

Yerim stared at Hyejoo with an expression she often exhibited whenever Hyejoo was being an idiot. It often made an appearance nowadays, much to Hyejoo’s dismay. “Maybe, but it _also_ could have gone way better.”

Hyejoo frowned. “In what way, exactly?”

Yerim groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Hyejoo, I always try to be positive for you, but seriously, do you _really_ like Chaewon?”

Hyejoo’s nose crinkled. She and Yerim were currently walking side by side, their destination being their respective houses, which were right beside each other. That was how they had come to know each other as a constant companion, forging a bond they knew could never be broken. Or perhaps it could, if Yerim didn’t stop treating Hyejoo like she was an utter blockhead (as true as that may be).

“Of course I like Chaewon,” Hyejoo said, defensiveness seeping into her voice like a dagger that threatened to stab anyone who disagreed. “I just can’t talk to her.”

Hyejoo looked at Yerim, and their eyes met. Yerim pressed her lips together, and Hyejoo pondered the possibility of Yerim citing instances in which Hyejoo was being a complete birdbrain once again, until the sides of Yerim’s mouth began to tug upward.

“That’s okay, _I’ll_ do something about it,” Yerim declared. She encased her fingers around Hyejoo’s hand and swung it back and forth, giggling, and Hyejoo would have asked if Yerim was having mood swings if she didn’t want this moment to last.

Hyejoo and Yerim continued to saunter through the pavement, their hands locked together in a gentle grasp. The subject of their conversation varied from Hyejoo contemplating dropping out of high school and Yerim stating all the reasons why high school contained the best years of a human’s life, but it never once again landed on the object of Hyejoo’s affections. She supposed she should be grateful for this, but something felt odd, as though Yerim was purposely steering away from even the slightest mention of Chaewon.

Hyejoo didn’t have the opportunity to raise her suspicions however, when Yerim suddenly released Hyejoo from her clutches. She grinned, and Hyejoo did _not_ trust that grin.

“I’ve gotta go to the bakery,” Yerim said, pointing in the opposite direction of where Hyejoo was going. Hyejoo’s eyes narrowed, and she leaned in close.

“I don’t trust you,” Hyejoo said, but Yerim’s smile did not waver. She raised her hands as though she were surrendering and looked directly into Hyejoo’s eyes.

“That’s cool, but I’m not gonna do anything that’ll cause you harm.”

“ _Really?_ ”

Yerim’s face scrunched up, but it occurred so abruptly that Hyejoo could not firmly believe it was not simply a figment of her imagination. “Yep! Yes, of course.”

“Okay...” Hyejoo walked backward, slowly, carefully; until she decided to remind herself that this was her _best friend,_ and whether she liked it or not, they were in together for the long haul. She breathed in deeply then curved one side of her mouth upward, waving goodbye as she turned and walked in the opposite direction.

* * *

Hyejoo did not forget what today was. How could she, anyway, when the walls were cluttered with a million posters, all of which were plastered on in disturbing ways, suggesting that this high school catered to toddlers? Most especially, the hallway was even harder to navigate through than usual, what with the constant running around of various students who wore sports uniforms and such.

The excitement that filled the air, however, did not manage to persuade Hyejoo to perceive today as a day she should not dread, not when she knew that the event was opened by the cheerleaders’ routine.

It was mesmerizing to witness, and Hyejoo would never deny that. In fact, in her freshman year, watching Chaewon during the exhibition was what made her fall in love with her in the first place. However, as she realized she didn’t have a chance, seeing Chaewon no longer (only) made her heart flutter, but caused a thousand angry butterflies to blow up in her stomach.

Hyejoo sighed. Perhaps she should just surrender. Write a love note, place it in Chaewon’s locker, and hope that was enough for Hyejoo to move on. (It wasn’t, of course. That was why she never did it.)

Hyejoo walked into her classroom with her heart feeling even more heavy in her chest than usual. She approached Yerim who, once she saw Hyejoo, threw her arms around her and embraced her.

“Whoa, what’s this?” Hyejoo chuckled, but returned the hug nonetheless. Yerim pulled back, but her arms still remained around Hyejoo’s neck.

“You’re gonna see Chaewon today,” Yerim whispered. Then, with her normal voice, she continued, “Are you excited?”

“No,” Hyejoo shrugged, and Yerim’s arms dropped and returned to her sides. Yerim’s mouth formed a pout, and the rest of Yerim’s facial features followed, her eyebrows knitting together and moving upward as her eyes widened.

“Aww, come on, it’ll be great, I promise,” Yerim grinned, playfully punching Hyejoo’s arm. Hyejoo frowned.

“How are you so sure?”

Yerim smirked, and Hyejoo sensed something bad was going to happen. “You’ll see.”

* * *

Although Hyejoo did her best to fight it, she could never deny the unadulterated love that blossomed in her chest at the mere sight of Chaewon, and even at the mere _mention_ of Chaewon. She felt air get pushed out of her lungs as Chaewon stepped onto the platform with a genuine smile, one that Hyejoo wished she could erase from her mind, if only she didn’t desire to see it for the rest of her life.

After a few beats, the routine began. Hyejoo watched as Chaewon soared, obviously in her element, doing splits here and there and even doing cartwheels all over the place once. It would have been messy if anyone else had attempted to do it, but the school’s cheerleading squad was undoubtedly one of the most talented out there, and they all landed each move without fail and even with a flourish. Not that Hyejoo would really notice, since she couldn’t take her eyes off Chaewon.

Soon enough, they were finished. They were breathing heavily, but the smiles on their faces did not falter. They stood up and were ready to get in line and exit, when suddenly, someone shouted, “Wait!”

Hyejoo gazed at the culprit in bewilderment.

It was _Chaewon._

Chaewon sprinted toward the principal and borrowed her microphone, then returned and positioned herself in the middle of the platform. The rest of the girls in the squad laughed, as though they knew what was coming next, and gathered around her.

Chaewon cleared her throat, then spoke into the microphone. “Alright, give me an H!”

“H!”

“Give me a Y!”

“Y!”

“Give me an E!”

“E!”

“Give me a J!”

“J!”

_Wait..._

“Give me an O!”

“O!”

“Give me another O!”

“O!”

“What does that spell?”

_Oh my God._

“HYEJOO!”

Chaewon beamed and searched the crowd until her eyes found Hyejoo. Hyejoo could not believe it, but her face brightened up even more, and Hyejoo’s reality began to truly crumble when she pointed straight at her.

“Son Hyejoo!” Chaewon yelled. Her body bounced and portrayed a picture of unbridled enthusiasm, which was odd, considering all the leaps and terrifying stunts she had just done. “I’m announcing, right here, right now— _I’m in love with you!_ ”

Hyejoo felt like her soul got sucked out of her body. Well, in a good way. Kind of. She had no time to reckon the situation anyway as Chaewon and the other cheerleaders danced once again, and— _oh,_ was Chaewon _singing?_ For _her?_

Hyejoo’s attempt at extrapolating a justifiable reason for this sudden occurrence was disturbed by Yerim shaking her back and forth while screaming uncontrollably. Hyejoo would have done the same, if only she could somehow find her voice.

Hyejoo then noticed that Chaewon was... coming closer? Somehow? Was that normal? Was Hyejoo truly hallucinating? Was—

Oh, shit.

_Oh, shit._

Chaewon had approached the crowd and jumped onto them, swimming through a wave of people that were bringing her to Hyejoo. Hyejoo wanted to move, speak, do _anything,_ but her feet stayed rooted to the ground and she watched with frightened anticipation as Chaewon came closer and closer.

Finally, she came close enough for them to speak intimately, and the people currently holding her up gently put her down. Almost immediately afterward, she placed her arm around Hyejoo’s waist and pulled her in close.

“Would you like to go on a date with me?” Chaewon asked, and as Hyejoo gazed into her eyes at such a tight distance, she discerned something teeming within them. She did not have time to truly decipher what it was, however, when Chaewon began to lean in and Hyejoo yelped out an agreement without much judgment.

The entire crowd cheered and Chaewon smiled so wide it covered most of her face, if that was even possible. She gave Hyejoo a quick kiss on the cheek and left, and when she reached her squad, they all exited in a fashion far away from orderly.

Hyejoo didn’t know what to do, and so she did what she always did at times like this: she looked at Yerim.

Yerim appeared to enjoy this strange turn of events much more than Hyejoo did. She was bouncing on her feet and seemed to be on the verge of bursting into sparks of energy while, on the other hand, Hyejoo stayed completely still, quiet but far from tranquil.

“Thank me later,” Yerim said, and as she spoke those words, her face fell. “Uh— I mean—”

Before Yerim could finish, Hyejoo connected the dots. She pointed a finger at her and her face scrunched up, so much so that the tension within it traveled throughout her entire body and infected her very essence. “ _You_ did this—”

Hyejoo could not complete her sentence as the people around her bombarded her with questions, and Yerim took the opportunity to slither away.

* * *

The Choi family had a secret. It wasn’t one that the Son family stayed oblivious to, however, as Hyejoo’s mother caught Yerim’s mother using a spell to create the dinner she had promised (and forgotten) to make for them to repay a favor.

Yerim’s family couldn’t, in good conscience, erase her memories, and so Hyejoo’s mother tattled to her husband about what had happened. Yerim’s family prepared to be sent away and begin a whole new life from scratch, when Hyejoo’s parents assured them that their secret was safe with them.

It was that moment that cemented the two families as comrades until the end of time. Hyejoo and Yerim themselves became closer, enough so that both of their parents joked that they would arrange a marriage between them, which they balked at immediately.

Hyejoo knew that magic was taboo—actually, no, it was that most of the citizens were not aware of its existence, and anything foreign was always considered dangerous. This mindset had the possibility to change, but it was also possible that Yerim and her family had to suffer before that could ever happen. It didn’t matter, anyway. Hyejoo loved Yerim with all her heart, and she regarded magic as yet another of Yerim’s amazing talents that added to how lovable she truly was.

Right now, however? That was far from the case.

“I can’t believe you!” Hyejoo walked back and forth, raking her fingers through her hair continuously. Yerim reached over to fix the mess Hyejoo had made, but Hyejoo swatted her hand away. “You made a love spell or something, didn’t you? Oh— when you said you were going to the bakery, it was really just that, wasn’t it?”

“Hyejoo, I just wanted to help,” Yerim said. Her voice was soft, quite unlike her usual boisterous exterior, and Hyejoo would have yielded and apologized if she wasn’t boiling in anger.

“What, you— you didn’t—” Hyejoo snuffled, struggling to open her eyes and avoid tears from escaping. “...You didn’t think she would like me for me? Is that it?”

Yerim’s eyes widened and she surged forward, enveloping her in an embrace, one so impervious that Hyejoo blinked and her tears fell, staining Yerim’s shirt. She must have felt it, as she squeezed Hyejoo even tighter.

“No, that’s not it, you know that,” Yerim spoke carefully. Her voice seemed to be on the brink of breaking, and Hyejoo slowly wrapped her arms around Yerim loosely. “You’re special, Hyejoo. I know you know that.”

“...You’re special too.” Hyejoo sighed, and she felt the tension within her dissipate. All she could feel right now was Yerim, and despite how difficult it was to breathe, she could not deny the warmth that spread in her chest. “You’re my best friend. I just... why did you do that?”

“You weren’t doing anything, so I decided to help you out a bit.”

“And what if she stops loving me? Like, the spell wears off, and she realizes she doesn’t actually like me.”

Yerim smacked Hyejoo’s back, and Hyejoo shrieked. Yerim laughed as she pulled away, and even more so when she saw Hyejoo’s outraged expression. She positioned her hands on Hyejoo’s cheeks, leaning in and pressing their foreheads together, smiling softly, and Hyejoo did not want to admit it but her irritation was appeased.

“You’re perfect,” Yerim whispered. “She’ll know that. Even when the spell wears off, she’ll still know that.”

Hyejoo paused. Then, with a fragile voice, she said, “Really?”

“Really.” Yerim pulled away, grinning, and then crashed onto her bed, sighing loudly. “Anyway, you wanna stay over?”

Hyejoo shrugged. “Yeah, sure, why not?”

Hyejoo and Yerim studied and did their homework together, despite the countless interruptions and complaints uttered by Hyejoo. Afterward, they spoke of anything and everything and simply enjoyed each other’s presence, just as they did when they were kids, just as Hyejoo knew they would when they were older.

Suddenly, as they conversed, Hyejoo’s phone buzzed. She looked at it, and the first emotion that she felt was horror.

“I forgot to tell my mom I was staying here.”

“Eh,” Yerim waved off her concern, “she’d know. It could be... someone else.”

Yerim wiggled her eyebrows, and Hyejoo was confused until the wires in her brain connected and formed a horrifying (well, exciting, to be honest) conclusion.

Hyejoo opened her phone. The text she had received was from an unknown number, and it read: _“Hey, is this Hyejoo? This is Chaewon! Where do you wanna go on our date? Oh, and does Saturday work?”_

Hyejoo blinked. Once, twice, thrice, until Yerim slapped her in the face.

“ _Ow,_ ” Hyejoo held her cheek and glared at Yerim.

Yerim shrugged. “You’ve done it to me before.”

Hyejoo scowled. “Yeah, but only I can do it.”

Yerim rolled her eyes. Then, she stole Hyejoo’s phone and jumped out of the bed. By the time Hyejoo realized what had happened, Yerim was already out the door, and Hyejoo could hear loud and quick footsteps echoing throughout the hall.

“ _Hey!_ ” Hyejoo ran after her, but it was too late: she saw Yerim in the living room, holding her phone and appearing more triumphant than the day she had successfully used magic for the first time. Hyejoo approached her and plucked her phone out of Yerim’s hand, frowning deeply.

She peered at the message Yerim sent.

_“Oh, you know that forest that no one really visits? It’s a beautiful place, and I’d love to go there with you. Oh, and yes, Saturday definitely works!”_

Hyejoo’s eyebrows knit together. “What forest?”

Yerim chuckled. “Exactly. Anyway, come with me, I’m taking you there right now. Oh, and we better discuss what you’re gonna wear and stuff.”

“What? What about your parents?”

“They’re over at your parents today for dinner.”

“Oh,” Hyejoo nodded in recognition. “I remember now.”

“Yeah. Anyway, follow me!”

Yerim grabbed Hyejoo’s hand and together, they left the house. It was dark, and the streets were only lit up by the streetlights, but Hyejoo felt safe in the hands of her best friend.

“So,” Hyejoo prompted, “Tell me about this forest.”

“Hmm...” Yerim stroked an imaginary beard, and Hyejoo pulled her hand away and used its freedom to playfully push Yerim. Yerim cackled, and so did Hyejoo, and they laughed for a solid minute before Hyejoo cleared her throat and gestured at Yerim.

“Go on.”

Yerim made a completely straight face. “Alright, so—”

Hyejoo began to laugh again, pointing at Yerim’s face, and Yerim laughed with her. It wasn’t that late at night, but they still encountered quiet stares of disdain. It was as though they didn’t exist, however, and they continued to snort and chortle and whatever other synonym for laugh there was.

Eventually, they grew silent. Yerim led Hyejoo into a part of the town Hyejoo had never ventured into, and her hand instinctively found Yerim’s, and Yerim held it and showed her a reassuring smile.

“It’s alright, it’s beautiful, I promise you.”

They continued further, and the buildings gave way to trees, until trees were everywhere as far as the eye could see. They walked and walked and walked until finally, Yerim stopped, and moved away to give Hyejoo space to completely observe the view.

Just as Yerim had said, it was beautiful. There was a lake, one that Yerim hadn’t even mentioned, and the place before it was clear and evidently clean, perfect for sitting and having a picnic or any other relaxing activity.

“To be honest, I’m not supposed to show you this,” Yerim said. She put her arm around Hyejoo’s shoulders, and together, they looked around. “This is where my parents and I replenish our powers. See that lake? It’s enchanted.”

“Cool,” Hyejoo said, her voice barely above a whisper. It was then that Yerim’s words registered into her brain and she snapped out of it, looking at Yerim with distinct hesitance.

“Is it really okay that I take Chaewon out here, then?”

Yerim smiled. She leaned into Hyejoo, and they eventually formed an embrace. She looked at her, and didn’t seem to have an ounce of reluctance whatsoever. “Of course. You want the girl? I’ll get you the girl.”

Hyejoo found herself smiling and holding Yerim closer. Her eyes wandered across the seemingly perfect view, and she could not help the caution that etched itself into her heart, but if she focused on her best friend and the prospect of Chaewon becoming hers, she managed to forget about it, at least for a moment.

* * *

“This place... it’s amazing.” Chaewon twirled around, observing her surroundings. Hyejoo noticed the way Chaewon’s dress swished along with her movement, and Hyejoo could barely suppress a chuckle.

The sound was not lost to Chaewon’s ears. Her eyes immediately landed on Hyejoo, and Hyejoo tried to obscure her reddening face by quickly taking the rolled up mat that was pressed in between her arm and her body and laying it across the ground.

“So,” Chaewon gestured at the basket hung around Hyejoo’s arm, “what do you have for me?”

Although Yerim offered to magically create baked goods, Hyejoo supposed it would be better if she did it herself. You know, to put some heart into it, to relay feelings she could not bring herself to convey. Still, it was a challenge, and she and Yerim spent the entire Friday night attempting to concoct delicious edibles, only to fail time and time again until their parents decided to help for a bit. It took forever, but they finally succeeded, and Hyejoo went to bed and slept peacefully.

Now that she was actually faced with Chaewon, Hyejoo could barely even look her in the face, and busied herself with preparing the plates and utensils and delicately placing them on the mat. Chaewon sat down beside her and said nothing, and Hyejoo dared not to inspect if her attention were elsewhere (which would have been a relief, if it wouldn’t have crushed Hyejoo’s heart).

It wasn’t like she had to, anyway. Chaewon poked her shoulder and Hyejoo’s head immediately jerked toward her direction, her hands unintentionally loosening their grip on the plates. She felt them slip away and she panicked, moving to prevent them from falling, and she succeeded—not only at salvaging the plates, however, but also at embarrassing herself in front of Chaewon, if Chaewon’s howls of laughter were any indication.

Hyejoo considered hiding behind the numerous trees that circled them, when Chaewon’s laughs faded away and her lips formed a small smile as she tilted her head to the side.

“You’re cute.”

Hyejoo could not see her face, but she could sense that it was turning redder and redder by the minute. “Uh. No, you?”

Chaewon gave her a look of amusement, and Hyejoo’s heart began to slow down somehow at the realization that all of this was real. Chaewon was in front of her, eating food that she made and calling it delicious. Chaewon was in front of her, laughing and sharing stories as though they had known each other for centuries. Chaewon was _right_ in front of her, and she could feel the radiance she exhibited simply by being near her. All of this was—

Hyejoo paused. Her mind entered a place she had attempted to ignore and reminded her that _no,_ this wasn’t really real. It was why she couldn’t quite truly thank Yerim for what she had done, because who’s to know if Chaewon would really like her after all.

“Hey,” Chaewon spoke, and Hyejoo snapped out of it and propped her elbow on her lap, putting her chin on the palm of her hand and giving Chaewon her utmost attention. “Did you like that song I made for you?”

Hyejoo blinked. “What song?”

“You know, when I told you that I loved you for the first time?”

 _Oh._ Hyejoo blushed at the memory of it. “Wait... you made that song?”

“Yeah!” Chaewon simpered, rocking back and forth. “I asked the girls if they were okay with making choreography for it too, and they agreed! So, yeah, uh... did you like it?”

Hyejoo restrained herself from looking directly at Chaewon, and her eyes ended up meandering through their environment. She felt embarrassed and quite ashamed that Yerim’s spell had caused Chaewon to harbor strong enough feelings for her to compose such a thing at such short notice. It was only when she decided to take a chance and catch a glimpse of Chaewon’s expression that she noticed how her face fell, and Hyejoo could not stop herself any further.

“It was _perfect!_ ” Hyejoo said, taking Chaewon’s hands into hers and leaning forward. “I mean, it really said everything you wanted to say, and uh, the choreo you guys did was great, and uh... um, uh—”

Hyejoo was spared from scrambling for more compliments. Chaewon closed the distance between them, and their lips met. It was a brief connection, but Hyejoo felt a tingle that grew into electricity that shocked her entire being, and it did not help that Chaewon only pulled away slightly. If Hyejoo made just one small motion, they would kiss once again.

Hyejoo, however, did no such thing, and Chaewon definitively leaned away. She didn’t seem affected, however, and gestured at the lake.

“Hey—is it safe to swim?”

“What? Uh, yeah, sure.” Hyejoo was still in a daze and Chaewon’s words did not register correctly in her mind until she realized that Chaewon was removing her clothes, revealing a swimsuit. Hyejoo was not certain if swimming in the lake was truly safe, but she could not speak, too starstruck by the view in front of her.

Before Hyejoo knew it, Chaewon dived in.

“Wait!” Hyejoo followed her and called out to her. There was no response, and she was greeted only by the soft breeze that billowed through the trees. Chaewon seemed to have disappeared, and despite the risks, Hyejoo jumped into the lake. She didn’t bring a swimsuit with her, so although her clothes soaked up the water and pulled her under quite a bit, she continued on.

“Chaewon?” Hyejoo’s calls were growing desperate. “Chaewon!”

Hyejoo considered calling Yerim and notifying her of the disaster that had just taken place, when she felt something wrap itself around her waist. Hyejoo struggled to free herself, and was just about to punch whatever it was when she heard it say, “Hyejoo, it’s me!”

“O-Oh,” Hyejoo relaxed. She girdled Chaewon’s body with her arms, and they remained in the water together.

“You scared me,” Hyejoo spoke softly. “I thought I lost you.”

Chaewon stared at her for a moment, and Hyejoo feared the worst. Had she said too much? Her mind would have waltzed off into the darkest of places, if it weren’t for Chaewon pulling both of them under the water.

Hyejoo slightly wanted to scream, but seeing Chaewon regard her with a strange look in her eyes served as an incentive for Hyejoo to stay completely still. She remained as such even when Chaewon cupped her cheeks with her hands, even when Chaewon closed her eyes, even when Hyejoo did the same and felt something soft and sweet on her lips.

Chaewon pulled away and they both burst out of the water, gasping for air. After a moment of breathing heavily, they looked at each other, and laughed so much that it echoed throughout the place.

“Hey,” Chaewon said. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” Hyejoo replied, and wasted no time in bringing their lips back together again.

* * *

Yerim leaned backward and placed the back of her hand on her forehead, presenting a pained expression. “ _Oh, Chaewon, I thought I lost you!_ ” she said in the most annoying and high-pitched voice she could muster, and Hyejoo groaned as she buried her face deeper into her pillow.

“I don’t sound like that,” Hyejoo said, although it came out muffled.

There was silence for a moment until Yerim burst into laughter, repeatedly whacking Hyejoo’s back despite Hyejoo’s whines of disapproval. “Not my fault the whole date went down so dramatically. I mean, geez, it’s an _enchanted_ lake, not a _forbidden_ lake!”

Hyejoo raised her head and glared at Yerim. “Well, I wish you had told me that. I thought Chaewon was a goner.”

Yerim shrugged. She joined Hyejoo on the bed, lying down directly beside her, putting her hand around her back and moving her head so that it faced her. “So... she seriously swam in there?”

“Uh-huh.”

“And she pulled you under and kissed you?”

“Uh-huh.”

Yerim’s eyes wandered elsewhere, as though she suddenly wasn’t present and with Hyejoo at all anymore, until her face broke out into a smile. “Okay, as terrifying as that honestly sounds, that’s... nice.”

Yerim didn’t explain any further, and Hyejoo neglected to ask.

“Well, anyway, it doesn’t matter,” Hyejoo sighed, sitting up, placing her pillow on her lap. Yerim did the same, looking at Hyejoo with complete and utter confusion.

“What do you mean?”

“She’s still under that spell, and I feel bad,” Hyejoo explained. She opened her phone and disclosed her recent conversation with Chaewon, pointing at the last message she sent. “ _I love you._ With the heart emoji and everything. I mean yeah, it was great at first, but now I just feel bad.”

Yerim pursed her lips as she looked at the screen, before she switched her gaze to Hyejoo. “I could reverse it, if that’s what you want.”

“What?”

“An anti-love spell. When I went to the bakery, I actually did bake something, except I spelled it and gave it to Chaewon. I could do that again, and you could give it to her this time.”

“ _What?_ Why me?”

“Hyejoo...” Yerim placed her hand on Hyejoo’s, caressing it. “I love you. But also, I don’t wanna be part of any drama, so you’re on your own.”

Hyejoo used the pillow in her grasp to attack Yerim’s face, and much to her delight, it landed on her target. Yerim groaned but didn’t strike back, instead opting to sit directly beside Hyejoo and hold her in an embrace.

“Look,” Yerim said. “She loves you. I know she does.”

Hyejoo wanted to argue against that, but decided not to.

* * *

Chaewon had asked Hyejoo to meet her by the lake. Hyejoo asked why but Chaewon didn’t answer, insisting that it was a surprise and that she would reveal what it was soon enough. Hyejoo was anxious, especially since she decided that this would be the best opportunity to give her the confection infected with the anti-love spell, and came earlier than she was asked to. It didn’t matter, anyway—when she arrived, Chaewon was already there, holding a guitar.

“Whoa, what’s this?” Hyejoo chuckled as she approached, and when Chaewon looked at her, she smiled so wide it made Hyejoo’s heart ache. She tightened her grasp on the small box in her hand, preparing for the worst as she came closer to Chaewon.

“I made another song for you!” Chaewon explained. She faced Hyejoo, and Hyejoo sat down in front of her on the mat. “I really hope you like it.”

Hyejoo attempted to interject, but Chaewon began strumming her guitar. It was a sweet sound, and an even sweeter sound was produced when Chaewon opened her mouth and started singing.

Hyejoo had witnessed Chaewon singing before. It was one of the things that made her path to Hyejoo’s heart a smooth one. However, Hyejoo had never heard her in a situation like this, so intimate and so close that Hyejoo could lazily raise her hand and her fingers would easily graze Chaewon’s cheek. It exacerbated the pain in her chest when she remembered that Chaewon was also singing a song she made especially for her, and she struggled to not completely crush the box in her hands.

When Chaewon finished, she looked at Hyejoo excitedly, but almost immediately, her face fell.

“Hyejoo? Why are you crying?”

“Huh?” Hyejoo’s fingers quickly touched her face, and she felt how wet her cheeks were. She attempted to construct an explanation or at least come up with any string of words, but to no avail. The tears came faster and her body shook as she buried her face in her hands, dropping the box she was carrying.

Hyejoo heard Chaewon gently place her guitar on the mat and felt her enveloping her in an embrace. Her scent was all she could smell, she felt how soft Chaewon’s body was, and she perceived Chaewon stroking the back of her head slowly and carefully. This only served as something that stung Hyejoo even more and she pulled away, releasing herself from Chaewon’s grasp.

“Hyejoo?” Chaewon spoke softly. Hyejoo couldn’t bear to look at her. “Tell me. What’s wrong?”

Hyejoo paused and considered her options. She could run away and avoid Chaewon for the rest of her life, _or_ she could hand Chaewon the box and explain herself. The latter seemed to work out in Chaewon’s favor, so of course, that is what she chose.

“I was just... touched,” Hyejoo said. She quickly took the box and shoved it into Chaewon’s hands, still looking anywhere else but at her. Chaewon gazed at her, clearly perturbed, but she accepted the box and opened it.

Hyejoo allowed herself to be tortured and looked at Chaewon. She saw Chaewon’s eyes widen, but for what reason? Was it strange that Hyejoo baked for her? Did she not like what she made? Hyejoo considered taking it back, but when she remembered its purpose, she fought the urge to do so.

Chaewon, surprisingly, said nothing. She popped the confection into her mouth and as she chewed, Hyejoo watched, careful to prevent herself from antsy movements.

After a while, Hyejoo summoned her courage and spoke. “How... how are you feeling?”

“Good!” Chaewon grinned, and Hyejoo did her best to not let her puzzlement be noticed.

“Really? Would you say you still have... strong feelings for me?”

“Yeah, I think,” Chaewon shrugged. “Let’s just wait for the anti-love spell to take effect.”

Hyejoo sighed, scratching her head and gazing at the ground. Then, her head snapped toward Chaewon, her eyes widening. “What? How did you know?”

Chaewon chuckled, and motioned for Hyejoo to come closer. Despite Hyejoo’s doubts, she followed, and Chaewon held her hands and smiled. “Well, first off, your friend Yerim gave me the exact same thing before, and when I ate it, I suddenly found myself liking you. And then we spent time together, I swam in that lake and the spell wore off—”

“Oh, right,” Hyejoo nodded, rather stiffly as she still couldn’t believe what was happening. “It’s enchanted, so that means...”

 _Oh._ That must have been why Yerim was so willing to do an anti-love spell for her. That sly, lovable witch.

“Yup,” Chaewon said. “And then I went up to Yerim and she told me everything, then asked me how I felt, and...”

Hyejoo blinked. “So you’ve been faking it this whole time?”

Chaewon looked at her incredulously, before bringing her hand up to her mouth and kissing it softly.

“I haven’t been faking anything,” Chaewon whispered, a soft smile playing on her lips.

Hyejoo felt her heart beat faster and faster in her chest, and without much thought, she moved forward and kissed Chaewon, wrapping an arm around her waist and using her free hand to hold her cheek.

When Hyejoo pulled away, they gazed at each other for a moment, then began laughing uncontrollably.

“I love you,” Chaewon said, with the brightest and most genuine smile Hyejoo ever had the pleasure to witness.

“I love you too,” Hyejoo said, and thought to herself that she would thank Yerim by doing anything she wanted. (Okay, maybe _not_ anything. She still remembered the last time she owed Yerim a favor. But oh well—that was a story for another time.)

“Hey hey hey,” Chaewon said, rocking back and forth. Hyejoo chuckled at the sight, her chest feeling much lighter than it had prior to this moment. “So... when did _you_ fall in love with me?”

“Oh, uh,” Hyejoo blushed and cleared her throat. “You’re just amazing, I guess. That’s all. You didn’t have to do anything but be yourself for me to love you.”

Chaewon smiled. She tucked Hyejoo’s hair behind her ears, and her hands landed on Hyejoo’s cheeks. “Hmm. I like that.”

Hyejoo held Chaewon’s hands and tilted her head to the side, brimming with glee but also curiosity. “Why do you ask?”

Chaewon shrugged. “Yerim said you thought I was a goddess or something.”

Hyejoo flinched and her grasp on Chaewon’s hands tightened. When she noticed Chaewon wincing, she immediately let go, apologizing profusely afterward. They moved on from the subject but not before Hyejoo swore to smother Yerim with hugs, enough to quite possibly suffocate her to death.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Please leave a comment and tell me what you think. :)


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